Motor-vehicle.



Ndl 756,992. PATENTED APR. l2, 1904.

4 G. R. TWITGHELL.

MOTOR /HEHICllIE.V APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 17. 19os `No MODEL.

L /CU E g) gg gitouxcg Y i w UNITED STATES Patented April 12, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. TWITCHELL, OF DAYTON HEIGHTS, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO BROWN -WINSTANLEY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, .OF LOS AN- GELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 'of Letters Patent No. 756,992, dated April 12, 1904-.

Application led August 17, 1903. Serial No. 169.740. (No model.)

To lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. TWITGHELL, of Dayton Heights, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make io and use the same.

The primary object of this invention is to provide in a motor-vehicle having shiftable axle-sections means for placing the weight of the vehicle-body on the axles near the wheels I 5 and at the same time permit the axle-sections to be readilyv shifted without lateral strain' upon the bed or the supporting-springs.

Further objects are to so mount andcontrol the axles that friction will be reduced to a 2o minimum and the machine will be capable of being readily and easily turned in a small space with but slight exertion. n The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken vertically through the front axle. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing one of the sprocketwheels, the bolster, and the spring. The axles of the front and rear wheels 1 are each formed of two end parts or sections 2 and a central section 3. The former are incased in sleeves 4, between the cupped ends of which and beveled collar 5, secured on the axles, are ball-bearings 6. On the inner ends of the sleeves are casings 7 each of which is pivoted above and below,'as at 8, to a second casing 9, 40 depending from bolster 10. The inner protruding ends of the axle-sections 2 have universal or knuckle joint connections 12 with the i'ianged ends of sleeves 13 of differential-gearing disks 111. The upper and lower pivots 15 of the ring, to which the axle-sections are pivoted at opposite sides, are in vertical line with Intermediate the gearing-disk is a pulley or sprocket wheel 16, carrying a beveled pinion 17 which meshes with the beveled toothed faces of the disks. The pulley has sprocketteeth on its periphery, preferably at one side. The two disks 14 have ball-bearings 18 against sleeves 19 of casing 9. The sprocket-wheels of the front and rear axles are connected to the motor (not shown) by chains 20,with the result that the power is uniformly applied to both axles, and the centrally-arranged sprocketwheels being supported on each side by ballbearings friction is reduced and provision is made for easy operation of the machine.

Near their outer ends, adjacent the wheels, the axles support flat curved shoes 21, secured to the ends of the downwardly-curved bolster 10, and to these ends are` also attached the springs 22, by which the vehicle-bed is supported. By connecting the axle-sections to the gearing and the bolster in the manner stated and providing for the support of the bolsters directly upon the axles the latter may be readily shifted for turning the vehicle, the differential gear intermediate the axle-sections permitting this to be done without serious interference with the operation of the motor. For accomplishing this latter purpose I prefer to employ two bell-crank levers 23, mounted on the frame of the vehicle and connected together by a bar 24. and each to one of the sections of both axles by rods 25, which latter rods are at their inner ends secured to the bell-crank levers on opposite sides of the fulcra thereof. By shifting bar 24. to the left the left-hand section of the front axle is thrown rearwardly, while its complementary section will be drawn forward, and at the same time the corresponding sections of the rear axle will be moved in opposite directions-that is, the left-hand section of the rear axle will be A cle, as set forth.

drawn forward, while its mate will be shifted rearwardly. By this means I am enabled to provide for the turning of a motor-vehicle in a very small space, the steering being accomplished by both the front and rear axles.

I claim as my inventionl. A motor-vehicle having its axles cornposed of pivotally-mounted end sections, driving-wheels intermediate said sections having differential gearing with such sections, and an operative connection with the driving-wheel of each axle, as set forth.

2. A motor-vehicle having its axles composed of pivotally-mounted end sections, driving-wheels intermediate said sections having dierential gearing with such sections, an operative connection with the driving-wheel of each axle, and means arranged between the two axles connected to the opposite sections thereof foreffecting the turning of the vehi- 3. Amotor-vehicle having each of its axles composed of pivotally-mounted end sections and a central section, a wheel or pulley on such central section having a beveled pinion, gearing-disks with which said pinion engages, knuckle-joint connections between said gearing-disks and said end sections, and an operative connection with each of said wheels or pulleys, as set forth.

4. The combination with the axle having end sections and a central section, of sleeves inclosing. such end sections pivotally secured at opposite upper and lower points, a central driving wheel or pulley having differential gearing with such end sections, and knucklejoints between said end sections and the said gearing, opposite pivots of said knuckle-joint being in vertical line with the pivots of said sleeve, as set forth.

5. The combination with the vehicle-bed, and the bolster, of shoes secured on the outer ends of the latter, shiftable axle-sections upon which -said shoes bear near the outer ends of such axle-sections, and means for shifting such axle-sections independently of the bolster, as set forth. Y

6. rIhe combination with the vehicle-bed, and the bolster, of shoes secured on the outer Vends of the latter, bed-supporting springs also secured on such ends, axle-sections having universal-joint connections at their inner ends, differential gearing between said sections, and means for shifting said axle-sections independently of the bolster', as set forth.

7. The combination with the axle-sections,

Vof the sleeves inclosing 'the same, stationary casings, casings secured on said sleeves pivoted at opposite upperand lower points to said stationary casings, differential gearing intermediate said axle-sections, and universal joints on the inner ends of said axle-sections, the vertical pivots of said joints being in vertical linezwith the pivots of said sleeve-casings, as set forth.

8. The combination with the axle-sections having beveled collars near their ends, of the sleeves on said sections having cupped ends, ball-bearings between such ends and collars, casings to which said sleeves are pivoted, and means for shifting such axle sections and sleeves, as set forth. v

9. The combination with the vehicle-bed, and the holsters, of shoes secured onthe outer ends of the latter, bed-supporting springs also secured on such ends, axle-sections pivoted near their inner ends, differential gearing intermediate said axle-sections, knuckle-joints between the latter and said gearing, a chain connection with the gearing of each axle, two bell-crank levers, a bar connecting the same, and rods connecting said bell-crank levers to said axle-sections, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES R.

Witnesses:

J. NOTA MGGILL, E. Gr. STICKNEY TwIToHELL. 

